Foot bearing construction for mixers



Sept. 22, 1964 J; 11. LENNON FOOT BEARING CONSTRUCTION FOR MIXERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 14, 1962 l'a weaai'ov: Joizzz J Lennon P 1964 J. J. LENNON 3,149,888

FOOT BEARING CONSTRUCTION FOR MIXERS Filed Nov. 14, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iaweni'ov:

John JILennon,

' f wa' giigm Sept. 22, 1964 J. J. LEINNONJ 3,149,888

FOOT BEARING CONSTRUCTION FOR MIXERS Filed Nov. 14, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 22, 1964 J. J. LENNON FOOT BEARING CONSTRUCTION FOR MIXERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 14, 1962 United States Patent 3,149,888 FOOT BEG CGNSTRUCTION FOR MIXERS .lohn J. Lennon, Winchester, Mass., assignor to Nettco Corporation, Everett, Mesa, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 237,505 2 Claims. (Cl. 308-36.1)

This invention relates to mixers of the type wherein a vertical rotary shaft extends downwardly into a container and carries impellers for acting on the fluid or semi-fluid contents therein. More particularly it relates to such a mixer, wherein the shaft has a foot bearing at the lower end thereof, and provides a construction permitting access to said bearing for inspection, repair or replacement, even when the container is full, without loss of liquid from the tank.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the illustrative embodiment shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section with parts broken away, showing an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view showing in elevation the opposed sections of the impeller shaft, the parts of a coupling which joins them in use being shown separated and moved to one side;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section showing the foot bearing in its environment;

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing certain of the parts in a different position of adjustment and some separated; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively showing a modification.

FIG. 1 shows a container or tank 10 into which extends from above a vertical shaft herein formed of two aligned sections, an upper section 12 (FIG. 2) joined by a coupling 14, herein of the laterally separable type, to a lower section 16 carrying impeller blades 18. This lower section 16 has at its lower end at the bottom of the tank a foot bearing to be described. The upper section 12 is supported by suitable bearings and is driven by gearing of conventional form from motor 20.

In FIG. 2 the coupling 14 is shown separated and its halves laterally displaced from the ends of the shaft sections. They may of course be taken away and put down somewhere else. The figure reveals that the ends of the shaft sections 12 and 16 are joined by a screw mechanism 22, then accessible for manipulation to raise or lower the lower section relatively to the upper. The mechanism shown is not new and is disclosed in detail in my ccpending application, Serial No. 799,525, filed March 16, 1959, now Patent No. 3,115,333, but it subserves a new function in the present case by its cooperation with the foot bearing and its environment which now will be described.

Referring now to the modifications shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the foot bearing comprises a male part 24, carried by the lower end of the shaft section 16, and normally turning therewith, and a cooperating stationary female part 26, and the two are housed within a cylindrical chamber at the bottom of the tank, preferably as herein shown, including a part 28 projecting downwardly therefrom as a sort of neck or nipple descending from the bottom of the tank, the chamber being completed by a removable cover 30, which cover 30, bolted to flange 31 of the 3,149,888 Patented Sept 22, 1964 neck, herein carries bearing 26 in a cylindrical extension 32 projecting upwardly from the cover and entering the neck 28. To permit removal of the cover, and to provide access to the bearing without draining the tank, a valve is provided which may be operated by movement of the lower section of the shaft 16 by operation of the screw mechanism 22 within the coupling 14 in FIG. 1 and as shown in FIG. 2, and herein in FIGS. 3 and 4 the valve comprises a valve head 34 mounted on the shaft, and opposing valve seat 36, which carries packing washer 38, the seat being on the end carried by a gland-like member having a sleeve portion 42 surrounding extension 32, and a flange 44 separately bolted to flange 31 and also supported by the cover 30. The valve head 34 and the seat washer 33 are spaced in the normal running adjustment of the mixer and liquid has access to the bearing, but if the shaft section 16 is slightly lowered to the position of FIG. 4, the valve is closed. The cover may then be removed, carrying with it the cylindrical extension 32 and the outer bearing 26 and permitting the removal or repair of that bearing and exposing the inner bearing part 24 for removal or replacement. The cover may then be bolted on and the parts 24 and 26 of the rotary bearing brought into normal cooperating relationship, and the shaft 16 returned to the elevated position of FIG. 3, opening the shutoff valve.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a modification in which the gland like member comprising sleeve 42a and flange 44:: has secured to it a downwardly facing valve seat 36a with downwardly exposed washer 38a and the shaft 16 has a valve head 34a, normally spaced below the valve seat, but adapted to be seated thereon by the movement of shaft 16 upwardly as seen in FIG. 6. The bearing elements are exposed when the cover 353 is removed, as shown in FIG. 6.

I claim:

1. In a mixing apparatus comprising a liquid container having a downward extension from its bottom, through which, if it were unobstructed, the contents of the container would drain, there being a removable closure for the bottom of the extension and a vertical shaft, at least the lower portion of which is capable of limited adjusting movement vertically, projecting downwardly into the container, the lower end of which shaft extends downwardly into said extension, there being a removable annular hearing at the lower end of the shaft, and a cooperating annular bearing supported by the extension in encircling relation to the first said bearing,

in combination with said shaft and extension a collar on the shaft above the bearings and an annular flange supported by the extension and positioned in alignment with the collar, normally in spaced relation thereto, the flange and collar on vertical adjusting movement of the shaft moving into abutting sealing relationship after which the closure may be removed and the bearings downwardly removed from the end of the shaft without loss of liquid from the container.

2. In a mixer comprising a tank and a vertical, driven shaft entering the same, at least the lower portion of which shaft is vertically shiftable by means accessible from the exterior of the tank, a small chamber at the bottom of the tank having an open top into which the lower end of the shaft extends and a removable lower cover exposed at the exterior of the tank, cooperating members carried by the lower end of the shaft and mounted at the lower Wall of said chamber respectively and providing a rotary bearing for the shaft, the shaft and the open top of the chamber having respectively a valve and a valve seat the former optionally closable on the latter by vertical shifting of the shaft as aforesaid to close the open top of the chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Boutros Sept. 30, 1952 Dykman July 19, 1960 

1. IN A MIXING APPARATUS COMPRISING A LIQUID CONTAINER HAVING A DOWNWARD EXTENSION FROM ITS BOTTOM, THROUGH WHICH, IF IT WERE UNOBSTRUCTED, THE CONTENTS OF THE CONTAINER WOULD DRAIN, THERE BEING A REMOVABLE CLOSURE FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE EXTENSION AND A VERTICAL SHAFT, AT LEAST THE LOWER PORTION OF WHICH IS CAPABLE OF LIMITED ADJUSTING MOVEMENT VERTICALLY, PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY INTO THE CONTAINER, THE LOWER END OF WHICH SHAFT EXTENDS DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID EXTENSION, THERE BEING A REMOVABLE ANNULAR BEARING AT THE LOWER END OF THE SHAFT, AND A COOPERATING ANNULAR BEARING SUPPORTED BY THE EXTENSION IN ENCIRCLING RELATION TO THE FIRST SAID BEARING, IN COMBINATION WITH SAID SHAFT AND EXTENSION A COLLAR ON THE SHAFT ABOVE THE BEARINGS AND AN ANNULAR FLANGE SUPPORTED BY THE EXTENSION AND POSITIONED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COLLAR, NORMALLY IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, THE FLANGE AND COLLAR ON VERTICAL ADJUSTING MOVEMENT OF THE SHAFT MOVING INTO ABUTTING SEALING RELATIONSHIP AFTER WHICH THE CLOSURE MAY BE REMOVED AND THE BEARINGS DOWNWARDLY REMOVED FROM THE END OF THE SHAFT WITHOUT LOSS OF LIQUID FROM THE CONTAINER. 